logo
PMC to depute junior engineer to irrigation department's flood control room

PMC to depute junior engineer to irrigation department's flood control room

Hindustan Times05-06-2025

After last year's flood-like situation on Sinhgad Road near Ektanagari, triggered by additional discharge from Khadakwasla dam, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to depute a junior engineer to irrigation department's flood control room for improved coordination.
Additional municipal commissioner Prithviraj BP said the decision was taken during a pre-monsoon review meeting held on Tuesday by Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram.
'Last year, there was a communication gap between the PMC and the irrigation department. The city received an additional discharge from the dam without prior intimation, which led to flooding on Sinhgad Road. To avoid such situations this year, an officer from the PMC will now be stationed at the irrigation department's flood control room to ensure timely updates and better coordination,' he said.
The municipal commissioner also directed ward offices to hire essential equipment such as JCBs during the rainy season without waiting for approvals from the head office.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tamhini Ghat receives 370mm rain; 205mm recorded in Lonavla; water discharge from Khadakwasla dam reduced
Tamhini Ghat receives 370mm rain; 205mm recorded in Lonavla; water discharge from Khadakwasla dam reduced

Time of India

time2 days ago

  • Time of India

Tamhini Ghat receives 370mm rain; 205mm recorded in Lonavla; water discharge from Khadakwasla dam reduced

Pune: Several parts of Pune received light showers on Friday, against the India Meteorological Department's forecast of yellow alert. The break in heavy spell provided a breather to thousands of warkaris, who accompanied the annual Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis. They are headed to Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Ekadashi rituals. The ghat sections in the district continued to witness a significant spell, with Tamhini and Lonavla recording 370mm and 205mm rain respectively in 24 hours ending at 8.30am on Friday. Elsewhere, Kurvande recorded 129mm rain, followed by Girivan (160mm), Nimgiri (116mm), Bhor (109mm), Malin (69mm), and Talegaon (65.5mm). For Saturday, IMD has issued a yellow alert (moderate to heavy rain) for Pune. IMD has predicted "generally cloudy sky; light rain very likely". All the key stations in Pune recorded "light to moderate" rain in the 24 hours ending at 8.30pm on Friday. These locations included Shivajinagar (25.7mm), Pashan (33.8mm), Lohegaon (26.6mm), Chinchwad (35.5mm), Lavale (40.0mm), Magarpatta (31mm), and NDA (38mm). The irrigation department on Friday reduced the water discharge from Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha river to a rate of 7,800 cusecs from 15,000 cusecs on Thursday night. The release began with 2,000 cusecs on Thursday morning. The live water stock has been brought down to 70.5% of the dam's capacity. On Friday, the southwest monsoon further advanced into the remaining parts of Bihar, east Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, parts of west Uttar Pradesh, most parts of Uttarakhand, many parts of Himachal Pradesh, and some parts of Ladakh, IMD officials said. A senior IMD official said, "Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places in the districts of Konkan-Goa, at a few places over south Madhya Maharashtra and at isolated places over north Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada on Saturday." A number of weather systems are escalating the probability of rainfall, IMD said. They include a low-pressure area over south Bihar, an upper air cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, and a trough running from northwest Uttar Pradesh to the north Gujarat region across the above cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan. IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into central and adjoining north, south Arabian Sea, northeast Arabian Sea along and off Gujarat-Maharashtra coast between June 20 and 24; along and off north Konkan coast on June 23. PMC clears choked drains Officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) drainage and road departments said that teams were busy clearing choked drains and accumulated water from various spots on Friday. People, however, said that the civic administration now faces the challenge of repairing potholes and resurfacing roads. Santosh Kadu, who often takes Apte Road, said that two drainage chambers were overflowing on Wednesday. "Though water has stopped flowing out from the chambers the condition of the road has worsened," Kadu said. PMC's water supply department has decided not to draw water from a well located at Barangani Mala in the Sinhagad Road area for the next couple of days as a precautionary measure following heavy spells of rain. A nullah in the area started overflowing on Wednesday. Additional water tankers are being pressed into service to cater to Dhayri, Sinhagad Road and Nanded. The civic administration plans to take up a cleaning drive in the well and nearby areas after which water lifting will begin again, officials said.

Pune civic body steps up control measures as 73 new flood-prone spots emerge
Pune civic body steps up control measures as 73 new flood-prone spots emerge

Hindustan Times

time7 days ago

  • Hindustan Times

Pune civic body steps up control measures as 73 new flood-prone spots emerge

As the city has witnessed a worrying rise in flood-prone spots between 2023 and 2025 with 73 new flood-prone spots identified by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the month of June alone, the civic body has taken a proactive approach and introduced a slew of measures to tackle the emerging challenges. The PMC has sought additional funding and a detailed project report with an estimated cost of ₹250 crores has been prepared to tackle the surge in flood-prone spots. Pune is one of only seven cities in the country to be allocated funds by the central government to mitigate the risk of urban flooding under the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP). The National Disaster Management Authority has allocated ₹50 crore for five years to the city. To further enhance flood management, the PMC has established a new disaster management cell equipped with modern facilities including a well-equipped control room. The initiative aims to integrate all departments and prepare for disasters in each department. Ganesh Sonune, deputy commissioner, PMC disaster management department, said that the civic body has taken a proactive approach to identifying and addressing emerging flood-prone areas. 'We have prepared and uploaded our flood control plan for the upcoming monsoon on the PMC website. The duty of each officer involved in the plan has been framed in detail. Fire brigade officers have been requested to provide information about all emergency calls received during the last two monsoons that will help us identify weak spots and curtail situations there,' Sonune said. Earlier, waterlogging in Pune would primarily occur only when excess water was released from dams or reservoirs. However, the situation has drastically changed. Now, even moderate rainfall (35 mm to 40 mm) results in the accumulation of water that is knee-deep in several localities. Disturbingly, many of these areas were previously considered safe and free from flooding. All this points to a systemic failure in urban planning, particularly maintenance and modernisation of stormwater drainage infrastructure. Activists have criticised the administration for its lack of foresight, pointing to clogged nullahs and poorly integrated drainage systems that are unable to handle the pressures of rapid urbanisation as well as erratic monsoon patterns. Undri resident Sunil Aiyer said, 'The emergence of new waterlogging spots across the city is a stark indicator of the pressing need for comprehensive flood management and urban infrastructure upgrades. It raises serious safety concerns for citizens, especially in terms of mobility, health risks, and emergency access during the rains. Unchecked urbanisation, narrowing of natural drainage channels, and inadequate maintenance of stormwater drains appear to be contributing to this worrisome trend. The increasing frequency and intensity of such incidents demands immediate attention from civic authorities to safeguard public life and restore confidence in Pune's infrastructure.' Jaymala Dhankikar, a member of the NIBM Annexe Forum, said, 'Infrastructure like roads, metro lines and flyovers has been constructed but what about stormwater drains? There is zero planning for them which is leading to flooding in areas near the Pune Metro and other infrastructural projects. The engineers are not paying attention, and it feels like the city has been abandoned. Citizens are suffering due to frequent and sudden flooding.'

PMC extends drive to trim dangerous tree branches, but citizens say efforts inadequate
PMC extends drive to trim dangerous tree branches, but citizens say efforts inadequate

Time of India

time7 days ago

  • Time of India

PMC extends drive to trim dangerous tree branches, but citizens say efforts inadequate

1 2 3 Pune: The civic administration has extended its drive to trim dangerous branches of trees across all wards, amid a brief respite in rain spells and the upcoming Palkhi procession that will go through the city. Citizens said that the administration should inspect all the trees located along prominent roads and at vulnerable spots to avoid mishaps. A couple of fatalities were reported during the recent heavy rain due to tree falls, prompting Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to expand the scope of its drive to trim dangerous branches. PMC plans to continue the drive till the end of this week. A civic official told TOI, "As the annual Palkhi procession is about to reach the city in the next few days, we are extending the drive of tree trimming on the Palkhi route as well. We are also taking help from the fire department in areas where access to trees is difficult." However, residents claimed that dangerous branches are not being trimmed properly before the arrival of the monsoon, leading to more falling branches this year. Due to the early arrival of rain this year, PMC was additionally unprepared, and falling branches led to closure of several roads, besides damage to properties and vehicles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Ashutosh Joshi, a resident of the Parvati area, said, "Instances of tree falls were more this time owing to heavy showers. The administration should rope in more staff to trim dangerous branches as it looks like a lot of work is still pending." Residents also raised concerns about PMC's ignorance towards trimming dangerous branches on private premises. Shivajinagar resident Ramesh Mehta said, "PMC does not trim the branches on its own if trees are located on private premises. Due to the high cost involved in cutting, owners do not come forward. PMC should work out a system for such cases, as safety cannot be compromised. Many trees are on private premises, but their branches tilt towards the road. These must be trimmed without waiting for citizens' applications." Officials from the PMC's garden department told TOI that the process to submit applications for tree cutting has been simplified. The administration has identified over 20 contractors for such trimming and charges have been fixed to avoid fleecing. What residents want: > PMC must trim dangerous branches of trees on busy roads on priority > Such branches of trees located on private premises must also be cut > More staff needs to be deployed for this drive

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store